An Israeli air strike killed at least 22 people in downtown Beirut on 10 October. At the same time, Israeli ground troops in Lebanon were accused of shelling the headquarters of UN peacekeepers and wounding two members of the Blue Helmets.
The assault on Beirut was the third such attack on the centre of the Lebanese capital since Israel escalated its campaign last month, AFP reported.
Lebanon's health ministry gave an updated death toll and said the number of wounded had risen to 117.
A Lebanese security source said the target was a "Hezbollah figure" following a string of assassinations of senior officials in the Iran-backed movement.. Most of the Israeli strikes targeted southern Beirut, not the city centre.
The attack came on the same day that the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon accused Israeli soldiers of "repeatedly" shelling their positions, including with a tank, resulting in two Indonesian soldiers being wounded.
European Council President Charles Michel said "attacking a UN peacekeeping mission is not responsible, it is not acceptable". Italy and Spain also condemned the attack.
Washington said that while Israel was directing its strikes against Hezbollah sites, "it is critical that they do not threaten the safety and security of UN peacekeepers".
The Israeli military (IDF) said it had acted against Hezbollah fighters near UN headquarters and had "instructed UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces." | BGNES
